Thomas P. Bonczar, Tracy L. Snell

November 13, 2005    NCJ 211349

Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death on December 31, 2004, and of persons executed in 2004. Preliminary data on executions by States during 2005 are included, and the report summarizes the movement of prisoners into and out of death sentence status during 2004. Numerical tables present data on offenders' sex, race, Hispanic origin, education, marital status, age at time of arrest for capital offense, legal status at time of capital offense, methods of execution, trends, and time between imposition of death sentence and execution.

Highlights include the following:

• At yearend 2004, 36 States and the Federal prison system held 3,314 prisoners under sentence of death, 63 fewer than at yearend 2003.
• Of those under sentence of death, 56% were white, 42% were black, and 2% were of other races.
• Fifty-two women were under sentence of death in 2004, up from 43 in 1994.

Part of the Capital Punishment Series

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